South Sudan government soldiers. The peace agreement signed in December
2017 risks collapsing as the warring sides continue to trade accusations
of violations. PHOTO | FILE
The United States, Britain and Norway have called on
parties in the South Sudan conflict and their field commanders to stop
violating the ceasefire signed last month, their head of missions in
Juba said on Tuesday.
There have been at least five violations reported, blamed on both sides in the conflict.
The
United States, Britain and Norway form a group, known as Troika, that
supported the 2005 accord leading to the independence of South Sudan
from Sudan.
They have threatened to impose individual or group sanctions for those violating the ceasefire.
Signed
in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the ceasefire is the latest
attempt to end a four-year civil war, that has killed tens of thousands.
It is also designed to allow humanitarian groups access to civilians
caught in the fighting.
It aims to revive a 2015 peace deal that collapsed in 2016 after heavy fighting erupted in the capital Juba.
President Salva Kiir’s decision to sack his deputy, Riek Machar,
in 2013 triggered the war in the world’s youngest country. It has been
fought largely along ethnic lines between forces loyal to Kiir, who is
Dinka, and Machar, who is Nuer.
The war has forced a third of the population to flee their homes.
“We
call on all signatories, and the field commanders who answer to them,
to immediately end all military operations,” the three Western countries
said in a statement.
They added that field commanders
and their political bosses would be held accountable for violating the
ceasefire and impeding humanitarian assistance.
There was no immediate comment from the army or the rebels.
The
ceasefire was to be followed by further talks focusing on a revised
power-sharing arrangement leading up to a new date for polls.
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